Posted on 06/01/2009 12:36:43 AM PDT by JoeProBono
I’m sick of it. I’m sick of all the negative pit bull press. And I’m sick of the irresponsible owners who are causing it.
There is so much information that is never brought to light — were the dogs that recently attacked a Culpeper woman and her grandson purebred American Pit Bull Terriers? Were they mistreated? What were the other circumstances that surrounded the attack?
A gentleman by the name of Michael O’Reilly wrote a letter to the editor in Sunday’s Star-Exponent in regard to breed-specific discrimination. Part of his letter read, “While I don’t own a gun, I agree with the phrase ‘Guns don’t kill people. People kill people.’ This applies equally to dogs, horses, automobiles, motorcycles and hamburgers of any variety.”
Our daughter’s godfather, Bob, worked as an animal control officer before opening a business. There were many calls he answered stating there was a “pit bull” loose on someone’s property.
In answering the call, most times the dog was a not a pit bull. Other times, however, when it was a pit bull running around, it usually had been mistreated.
Our own pit bull, Kendra, was a rescue that Bob picked up; she was malnourished and full of ticks. Kendra has been a wonderful companion for us and our daughter over the past six years. She is “Mama’s Baby Girl.”
Last Wednesday, as I was coming out of the gym, I spotted a pit bull in the bed of a truck with landscaping materials. I am respectful of anyone’s dog, so I won’t pet it until I ask the owner.
But until the owner came out, I talked with the dog (yes, I’m that crazy lady), and she wagged her tail, all the time staying in the bed of the truck. I was joined by an employee of one of the other businesses, and we were both singing the praises of pit bulls while commiserating about irresponsible owners.
When the owner came out, we asked him if we could pet her. “Oh, yeah, she’s a sweet old lady; her name is Cinnamon.”
Cinnamon is 13 years old and just as precious as she can be. Of course, as a good owner should, he placed Cinnamon in the front of the truck so she could ride shotgun.
What I’m most disappointed in is the lack of positive press that these dogs receive.
Last year, I was at Richmond International Airport waiting for a flight when I spotted him — a gorgeous brown and white pit bull, working as a service dog. Respectfully, I asked his owner if I could pet him (as anyone should when approaching a service dog).
She told me it was no problem, and I sat on the floor and played with “Bicker Boy” until it was time for my flight. His owner volunteered the information that he was a “Seizure Alert/Response” dog, meaning that he responds when the handler has a seizure.
More positive press: A pit bull named “Popsicle” helped the Feds seize 3,075 pounds of cocaine at the Mexican border; it was the biggest drug bust ever at the Hidalgo, Texas, port of entry.
“Weela,” a pit bull, was Ken-L-Ration’s Dog Hero of the Year in 1993 for continuously crossing the flooded Tijuana River to bring food to 17 dogs and puppies and one cat, all stranded on an island. Each trip she pulled 30 to 50 pounds of dog food that had been loaded into a harnessed backpack.
If you have the chance, I would urge you to watch the show on National Geographic Channel called “Dogtown” featuring some of the rescued pit bulls from Michael Vick’s compound of terror. These dogs have gone through hell and back, and watching the rehabilitation has been fascinating. They have grown to trust again, against all odds.
To quote from an open letter to PETA from Sonnet Dashevskaya, an American Pit Bull Terrier supporter, “Please do not support the punishment of pit bulls for the sins of some of the unscrupulous people who own them.”
He sure was!
That’s what our yard looked like last year, a total wasteland. They sure had a good time with all that mud.
Naw, that’s not Lindy - just a cute yorkie I posted some time back. (She’s cuter’n that!) LOL!
Got chased in the house by two big strays - don’t know what the breed was (in fenced in yard, too!)
Say “Hi!” to Harley!! ;-)
Maybe chet is taking a nap, but with you watching his back, all is right with the world..:O)
My sister has her 2nd pit bull. Both have been raised with children and grandchildren in the house without incident. Both of my sons have pit bulls and would have no other breed. They are both puppies at heart and love to play and have never bitten anyone, and they’ve had the chance. They have been raised with other people and with affection.
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